Does My Hospital Know My Credit Score?

It is not uncommon for Hospitals to pull patients’ credit reports. Other hospitals use third parties to predict the likelihood of payment for services from patients based on factors such as the patients’ income. Hospitals defend their practice citing the patients’ credit scores indicate whether they can afford to pay their bill or whether the patient may be a candidate for charitable assistance.

The best article I have found on the topic was written by Sarah Rubenstein and published in the Wall Street Journal. Read her article HERE. Sarah offers the following tips:

Watch out for high interest rates and late fees before putting a medical bill on a credit card.

Try to negotiate with your hospital to reduce your bill. For instance, ask the hospital to cut the tab in return for prompt payment or setting up a payment plan.

If you don’t want a hospital to see your credit information, place a request with each credit bureau to freeze your credit file.

You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report from each bureau once a year.

Click HERE to learn how to get your free credit report.

We are often contacted by potential clients that have issues with outdated or incorrect medical bills on their credit reports. Also, we often receive inquiries about how consumers can stop harassing telephone calls and letters from debt collectors trying to collect on medical bills.

If you or a loved one had discovered incorrect or inaccurate medical bills on your credit report, then you may be entitled to money damages. If you or a loved one have been harassed by a debt collector over medical bills, then you may also be entitled to money damages. Contact one of our consumer protection lawyers for a free legal consultation.